1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, printing method, and a program, and more particularly to a printing apparatus, a printing method, and a program for rotating a disk-shape recording medium, a semiconductor storage medium, and another print object, and discharging ink drops on a printing surface of the rotating print object to print visible information.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a printing apparatus which can record digital information such as video and voice on a recording surface of a disk-shape recording medium and also can discharge ink drops from a print head to a printing surface opposite to the recording surface to print visible information is proposed.
This type of printing apparatus is categorized into printing apparatuses of a so-called XY scanning method and an Rθ scanning method according to the scanning method of a print head. In the XY scanning method, printing is performed by moving a disk arranged on a disk tray in an insertion/ejection direction of the disk tray (sub-scanning direction), and also moving a print head in a direction perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction (main scanning direction). On the other hand, in the Rθ scanning method, printing is performed by rotating a disk in a circumferential direction (sub-scanning direction), and also moving a print head in a radial direction (main scanning direction) of the rotating disk (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 09-265760 below).
The print head has a plurality of discharge nozzles (hereinafter also called nozzles), and the plurality of nozzles constitute a plurality of nozzle lines arranged on approximately straight lines of each color, for example, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. A nozzle array of each color includes a plurality of nozzles arranged in a single line with a nozzle pitch p (single-line arrangement), or a plurality of nozzle lines arranged in two or more lines with nozzle pitches p and s (multiple-line arrangement).
In the multiple-line arrangement, a nozzle array of each color may be configured to realize a nozzle pitch p by a plurality of nozzles arranged in a zigzag shape (zigzag arrangement). In this case, the nozzle array of each color includes, for example, two nozzle lines in which each nozzle line has a plurality of nozzles arranged with a pitch 2p, and the two nozzle lines are shifted against each other by a nozzle pitch p in a length direction of the nozzle line.
Here, the print head having the zigzag arrangement is introduced in, for example, Non-Patent Documents 1 to 5 below. In Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2,a printing apparatus of piezo method having a nozzle pitch p=71 μm (360 dpi) or p=35 μm (720 dpi) is introduced. In Non-Patent Documents 3 to 5,a printing apparatus of bubble method having a nozzle pitch p=21 μm (1200 dpi), and the like are introduced.    [Non-Patent Document 1] “Epson Develops a Next-Generation Inkjet Print Head Using an Original Thin-Film Piezo Element That Has the World's Highest Degree of Distortion”, Seiko Epson Corp., Mar. 27, 2007, [Searched on Jul. 25, 2008], [Online], Internet.    <URL: http://www.epson.jp/osirase/2007/070327.htm>    [Non-Patent Document 2] “Epson announces—Next-generation micro piezo head—” Internet information providing site ITmedia+D, Mar. 27, 2007,[Searched on Jul. 25, 2008], [Online], Internet.    <URL: http://plusd.itmedia.co.jp/pcuser/articles/0703/27/news089.html>    [Non-Patent Document 3] “Canon announces eight models such as “BJ F900” which employs a new type head to get a higher speed and higher quality—launches a new brand “PIXUS”“Internet information providing site PC Watch, Oct. 2, 2001,[Searched on Jul. 25, 2008], [Online], Internet.    <URL: http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/pc/docs/article/20011002/canon2.htm>    [Non-Patent Document 4] “HP, Secret of the world's fastest photo print speeds in inkjet printers & ink without waste” Hewlett-Packard Japan, Ltd, [Searched on Jul. 25, 2008], [Online], Internet.    <URL: http://h50146.www5.hp.com/products/printers/inkjet/ink_technology.html>    [Non-Patent Document 5] “Technology reports archive—Hewlett-Packard Inkjet Printing Technology: The State of the Art”, Hewlett-Packard Development Company, [Searched on Jul. 25, 2008], [Online], Internet.    <URL: http://www.hp.com/oeminkjet/reports/techpress—11.pdf>